Slowly starting to extend my wine education into the Rhone where I have not had much. Before climbing on more expensive Heritage, I'm going to give Cote Rotie and Croze Hermitage more face time!

I opened up this Cote Rotie expecting a regular syrah and boy was I wrong! This is nothing like the Syrah/Shirahs that I know.

The wine needs a bit of time in your mouth, then then WHAM...the flavors pile in.

You taste earth, wood, a bit of creaminess in the texture, then the leather and the pepper comes in with a bit of what I've now been told is a meaty taste. And just when you think you can breath, the berries come in the lighten the load! Wow....five seconds of a wonderful ride.

It has a good persistence. This wine is also a bit mellow. Tannins and acid were in good check. Well balanced I would say.

I just wanted to get a better understanding. I one that I opened was a 2000. Given that it is 2005, when you say it is 5 years too early, are you saying that the 2000 should be opened in 2005 or 2010? The Croze Hermitage would also come under the same notion?

Also, what is the range in this. How much longer should this wine last?

I also have not understanding of good vintages in Rhone. What in the last ten years have been good vintages?

I give 10 years to the Cote Rotie and most full fledged Hermitages. The Crozes open up in 5 years most of the time. Again these are only rules of thumb. A greater one of the former might need 15, and a lesser one of the latter may be ready on release.